The invention relates to methods and compositions useful in promoting oral hygiene.
Most people are aware of the need to take measures frequently to promote oral hygiene, especially between meals or immediately after a meal during the day. Many enjoy the feeling of a freshened mouth after such measures and would be willing to take oral hygiene measures directly after each meal or during intermediate periods between meals, but find such measures to be either inconvenient or awkward. For example, although many consumers may desire to freshen their mouth or throat or to reduce the acidity in their mouth or throat during the day, there are several factors which prevent them from doing so.
One factor is that such measures may be inconvenient, for a variety of reasons. It may be that they are traveling in a vehicle or away from home for extended periods of time during the day in which they do not have easy access to a sink, a bathroom or other plumbing facilities required to use a conventional oral hygiene product, such as a conventional mouthwash.
Another factor may be that they are uncomfortable performing oral hygiene measures away from home at places such as at the workplace or at school, because they are unwilling to be seen in the shared restrooms at work or at school using and spitting out a mouthwash, or because they find offensive the idea of spitting something out from their mouth into a sink used by many others in a public restroom. Also, they may be uncomfortable being seen at work or school carrying around the items needed to take such measures, such as a cup and a bottle of mouthwash, or a toothbrush and toothpaste.
While the prior art has given much attention to the development of a variety of oral hygiene compositions, such as mouthwashes, mouthrinses and toothpastes, in a variety of different flavors and containing active ingredients effective at addressing various aspects of oral hygiene, little attention has heretofore been given to the development of oral hygiene compositions or methods which can be used anywhere and at any time without the need for proximity to a sink or plumbing facilities. Thus, nearly all of the prior art mouthrinses and mouthwashes are either alcohol-based or contain ingredients not intended for other than marginal or incidental ingestion. These products also present the burden upon consumers of protecting themselves and their children from accidental ingestion in either minor or major quantities and are often of limited usefulness in oral hygiene care because they are not indicated for use by children. Indeed, most conventional mouthwashes contain poison control warning labels or other such warning labels with regard to accidental ingestion by children. Moreover, these products tend to xe2x80x9cstingxe2x80x9d the delicate oral and throat tissues.
Manufacturers of conventional mouthwashes and mouthrinses have either not known how to make a product without these drawbacks or they have been unwilling to carry out the research and development necessary to develop a new approach to mouthwashes and mouthrinses beyond what has been the norm for the last seventy years. Thus, little attention has heretofore been given to the development of a mouthwash or mouthrinse that is suitable for ingestion, even by children, much less a mouthrinse that provides upon ingestion an additional nutritional or hygienic benefit, such as providing a source of calcium or freshening the throat.
Moreover, the prior art has given little attention to the convenience of use of oral hygiene compositions and methods. For example, little attention has heretofore been given to developing methods or compositions for the use of oral rinse compositions in a conveniently portable fashion, to make it more practical to use such compositions at any place or at any time.
Furthermore, the prior art compositions and methods do not provide the convenience of a bifunctional product or method, such as one which can be used for the oral hygiene of both the mouth and the throat. For example, little attention has been given to providing the consumer with a single multi-functional product or method for use in oral hygiene that can be used or performed at any time or any place for freshening and reducing acidity of both the mouth and the throat. Also, the conventional oral rinse compositions present the detriments and risks attendant to damaging the naturally occurring flora of micro-organisms present in the oral cavity.
Thus, there exists a great but unmet need for oral hygiene methods and compositions having the features of swallowability, safety for ingestion by children, convenience of portability, convenience of use anywhere and at any time, and multi-functionality. Compositions and methods with these features would promote oral hygiene by facilitating more frequent and widespread use of oral hygiene methods and compositions by many consumers, including children. The present invention is directed to these needs.
The present invention provides a method of freshening and reducing acidity in both the mouth and the throat of a mammal. The method comprises taking into the mouth an aqueous solution comprising calcium glycerophosphate (CGP) in an amount effective to reduce the acidity in the mouth and the throat of the mammal; maintaining the aqueous solution in the mouth for. a period of time sufficient to freshen and reduce the acidity in the mouth of the mammal, and thereafter swallowing the aqueous solution, whereby both the mouth and the throat of the mammal are freshened, and the acidity in both the mouth and the throat of the mammal is reduced. The amount of CGP present in the aqueous solution may be, for example, from about 0.1% to about 4% by weight. The period of time may be, for example, from about 2 to about 30 seconds. Preferably, the ingredients of the solution other than CGP and water are selected so as to make the solution ingestible even by children.
In one aspect of the method of the invention, the oral acidity may result from ingestion by the mammal of an acidic ingestible or from a condition such as post-nasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux, acidophilic bacterial metabolism, bacterial fermentation of food particles and dental plaque. Acidic ingestibles include acidic beverages such as coffee, beer, lemonade, soft drinks, fruit juice, tomato juice, wine and at least partially dehydrated versions thereof. Acidic ingestibles also include acidic foods such as pickles, citrus-flavored water ices and sherbets, salsa, pickled herring, sweet and sour soup, sauerkraut and foods containing tomato sauce. Acidic ingestibles also include acidic medicaments such as aspirin, other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
In another aspect, the method of the invention includes selectively dissolving certain carboxylic acid-containing particles in the mouth of a mammal by maintaining the composition of the invention i n the mouth of the mammal for a period of time sufficient to selectively dissolve the acidic particle.
The invention also includes a swallowable oral rinse composition for freshening and reducing acidity in both the mouth and the throat o f a mammal. The composition comprises an aqueous solution of CGP in an amount effective to freshen and reduce acidity in both the mouth and the throat of the mammal, and at least one of a sweetening agent in an amount effective to render the composition palatable and a flavoring agent in an amount effective to impart a pleasant flavor to the composition.
In one aspect, the flavoring agent is provided to the composition in the form of a concentrate comprising a flavoring composition and a coloring agent. In a preferred aspect, the water is purified by method s such as reverse-osmosis, filtration and distillation.
The invention also includes a conveniently portable system for delivery of a single serving of an oral rinse composition. The portable system comprises a non-resealable container having a capacity sufficient to contain a single-serving of the oral rinse composition. The container can be opened by an adult or a child without the use of any tools and can be conveniently carried on the person in a pocket.
In another aspect of the invention, the portable system is itself a unit of a portable, multi-unit package or container containing an oral rinse composition.